According to the Columbus Dispatch (subscription required), Ohio State freshman guard D.J. Carton will be returning to Columbus to get reacclimated to the college life. He has been on leave to take care of his mental health with no timetable (and rightfully so) for his return.
There are still plenty of things to go through to make sure he re-enters back to being a college student the right way. And that means he has yet to be cleared to rejoin the basketball team.
Chris Holtmann was asked about Carton Wednesday on the eve of Ohio State traveling to take on Iowa, the state in which Carton is from and where he has been getting treatment for his mental health.
The Ohio State head coach let everyone know that getting the freshman back to solid health is the priority, and that he won’t be rushed back to the basketball court.
“I would say, as it pertains to him, I’m hopeful that we can get him on a path toward improved health. That’s the only priority,” said Holtmann. “Obviously we’re late in the season, so you can draw your own conclusions on that. It’s late in the year. He’s been away for a while. If and when he returns, when you leave for medical reasons — there’s a lot that goes into being in any way — really even outside of our hands, acclimated back into any type of organized activity.”
Quick news story written while I’m traveling to Iowa: D.J. Carton returning to Ohio State, but basketball activities still on hold. The latest on the #Buckeyes freshman. https://t.co/h4WfpkbfbK
— Adam Jardy (@AdamJardy) February 20, 2020
That’s exactly where things should — and need to be — with the situation surrounding Carton, but at least there’s the first step of getting back to Columbus.
Whether or not the freshman guard that came in with so much fanfare will get back on the court this year remains to be seen, but at least this appears to be a positive step in his treatment and recovery.